Cha gậy tre, mẹ gậy vông
Direct English translation
For the father, a bamboo staff; for the mother, a coral tree staff.
Giải thích tiếng Việt
Chỉ phong tục trong tang lễ xưa: con trai để tang cha thì chống gậy tre, để tang mẹ thì chống gậy vông. Thành ngữ dùng để nói về nghi thức, lễ tục phân biệt trong việc để tang cha mẹ.
English explanation
Refers to an old funeral custom: a son mourning his father carries a bamboo staff, while one mourning his mother carries a staff made of coral tree wood. It is used in speaking of traditional mourning rites that distinguish between mourning for father and mother.